Devorah Freudiger is director of coffee culture at Equator Coffees, the longstanding B Corp coffee brand with various locations around the Bay Area.
It could be said that her coffee career began through osmosis from the coffee in the air, so to speak, of her hometown of Seattle. But the Bay Area was where it really started in earnest, with jobs of all types in the coffee biz since the early 2000s. Today, beyond her role at Equator, Freudiger is launching a barista internship program for youth with the Marin Foster Care Association, where she serves on the nonprofit’s board.
Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?
Devorah Freudiger: I got a summer barista job in 2003 when I thought I was just passing through the Bay Area and that the role would be a fun way to get to know people. More than 20 years later, I’m still in the Bay Area and still making coffee. I consider myself a coffee dilettante, as I know a little bit about many parts of the industry.
Did you ever have an ‘aha’ moment with a certain beverage? If so, tell us about it.
Oh, yes. I vividly remember my first cupping in 2005 and tasting a naturally processed coffee from Harar, Ethiopia. The sweet blueberry aroma and taste changed how I thought about coffee. It opened my mind and palate to the possibilities of flavor.
What is your favorite thing to drink at home?
I’m a filter coffee gal. I have a Breville automatic brewer for my first cup, as it’s nearly impossible to make coffee before drinking coffee. Then I switch to pourovers for the rest of the day. I like a very mellow first cup, something with chocolatey, nutty and caramel flavors like the Regenerative Organic Certified® Honduras Cafico.
For my second and third cups, I tend towards high acid floral and fruity coffees like our Ethiopia Sun Dried Natural. For a special occasion, I’ll indulge in a Gesha variety coffee, specifically one grown in Panama at Finca Sophia, the farm co-owned by Equator Coffees’ co-founders Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell. My alcoholic drink of choice is a perfect rye Manhattan.
Where do you like to go out for a drink?
I’m always trying new cafes and love tasting what other roasters are doing. A cafe with pourover options and a nice patio makes me super happy, and I’m at both our Larkspur and Sausalito locations a lot. I also enjoy tasting natural wines. Old World Winery just north of Santa Rosa is my favorite. It’s such a casual tasting room experience with some of the best wines in the state and super knowledgeable hosts.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to be drinking (besides fresh water)?
Coffee, of course. Probably our seasonal Golden Hour Blend prepared as a flash-brewed iced coffee.
Equator Coffees, equatorcoffees.com.
